Dane Kealoha and Christopher Johnson had long dreamed of finding their own piece of Palm Springs, California, perfection. The couple even went as far as to outfit their 1959 Portland, Oregon, ranch home as a midcentury Palm Springs-style oasis. In 2016, Kealoha and Johnson finally made the jump, purchasing a half-finished flip they found in Palm Springs’ historic Racquet Club Estates neighborhood. Despite the home’s unfinished state, they knew they’d found a gem. The 1959 home was designed by famed Southern California architect William Krisel and built by Alexander Construction Co., and the pool featured virtually unobstructed mountain views.

The couple spent six months landscaping, making mechanical upgrades and overhauling the entry courtyard to turn the house into their midcentury dream home.

Kealoha’s love of California photographer Slim Aarons was the primary inspiration when it came to designing and personalizing the interiors. Aarons’ photos dot the walls of the home and provide the color palette for each room.The homage continues poolside with yellow-and-white striped pool umbrellas, much like those seen in the photos above the sofa in the living room in the next photo. The umbrellas are from the local True Value hardware store, which Kealoha calls “the best True Value ever” because of its stylish and economical finds.

The Portland real estate agents now split their time between Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. Furnishing the home, which they call The Avenida, in a midcentury style but with modern practicality was a thoughtful process. “We knew we wanted chic furnishings with clean lines, but not at the expense of comfort. When we’re not using the house, we rent it on Airbnb and also knew our furnishings needed to be durable,” says Kealoha, pictured above right with Johnson. “With that in mind, the large pieces of furniture are all new or reproductions of midcentury furniture.”

The yellow sofa was the couple’s first decorating decision. They were influenced by Aarons’ famous Kaufmann Desert House series (and those yellow pool umbrellas) and opted to warm up the stark white space with a bold and inviting color. “A friend described our style as having a ‘soft masculine’ quality. It is definitely influenced by midcentury style but not necessarily in an extremely authentic sort of way,” Kealoha says.

The couple didn’t start out looking for a Krisel home. Instead, the opportunity to purchase one of the architect’s creations was a happy accident. “Finding a William Krisel-designed home in the Racquet Club Estates was a bonus,” Kealoha says. “We had a coffee table book on Krisel’s work in Palm Springs, and the Racquet Club neighborhood is featured prominently in it.”

At the top of the homeowners’ must-haves list for their home was a view of the nearby mountains. “What sealed the deal was the unobstructed mountain view with no power lines — hard to find, especially in our neighborhood,” Kealoha says.

“If we’re not in the pool, we spend a lot of time in the main living and kitchen area. As with most homes, everyone ends up hanging out around the kitchen island,” Kealoha says. The brass light fixtures are a recent addition to the kitchen.

A small hallway leads from the communal space to the bedrooms and bathrooms. “Every home in the neighborhood was originally built with the exact same floor plan,” Kealoha says. “The floor plans are very efficient and modest at only 1,225 square feet.”

The couple display their collection of vintage color glassware on top of the bar cabinet. The collection has grown over the years and consists of pieces they picked up at Goodwill in Portland as well as those they’ve added in Palm Springs. “We added in truly vintage pieces of art and decor so that it feels lived in and not just a furniture showroom,” Kealoha says.

A photo of actress Joan Collins and her pink poodle, titled Joan Collins Relaxes, hangs above the bed in one of the guest rooms. Kealoha got a laugh out of creating a meta design for the two guest bedrooms. “I thought it was funny to find people in bed in [Slim Aarons’] photos,” he says.

As real estate agents, the homeowners are always working, even when they’re in Palm Springs. This minimalist desk provides just the right amount of space for them to get work done while still maintaining spacious guest quarters.

This bedroom is the brightest in the home, with a wall of windows that faces the side courtyard and a custom-built privacy wall. It’s also the smallest, though it still has enough room for a side chair in the corner.

The side tables are a DIY project. The rattan bases were originally stools and Kealoha used found-glass tops. The natural textures throughout the bedroom were a concerted effort by Kealoha to bring warmth into the all-white room.

The couple’s biggest renovation project was the shadow-block privacy wall they built for the exterior. Kealoha notes that it was also their biggest headache. Their inspiration for the pattern came from block patterns Krisel used in other developments in Palm Springs.

The wall provides privacy for the street-facing guest bedrooms and also creates a private entry courtyard that allows the serenity of a Palm Springs oasis to wash over you as soon as you get out of the car. “It’s like you’re stepping into another world,” Kealoha says.

The couple did the majority of the work to their half-finished flip outside. They completed the landscaping and replaced a broken wooden gate and gravel courtyard with the entryway, seen here. The structure to the right is a small casita that houses pool supplies and a three-quarters bath. The couple plan to expand it and make it a proper guesthouse in the future.

Knowing that living in Palm Springs requires a lot of electricity for things like air conditioning, Kealoha and Johnson added solar panels to their home. “Our vintage home isn’t exactly made to be the most efficient, so we immediately installed solar panels on the roof,” Kealoha says.